Introduction

Ride-on toys are a fun way for toddlers to develop hand-eye coordination, balance, and muscle strength. It also compels them to concentrate on the coordination of their body movements for a prolonged time. Ride-on toys give toddlers the opportunity to experience control over increased mobility and are a gateway to things like bicycles.

Ride-on toys are wheeled devices that enable toddlers to propel themselves forward with a motor or their legs. The latter is excellent for muscle development and physical fitness, and definitely not a bad idea if you are thinking of getting your toddler a ride-on toy.

Another big benefit of ride-on toys is that they encourage creativity. A toddler on a ride-on toy may imagine driving like a grownup or something else they saw like firemen or policemen. This prepares them for real life situations and develops right-brain thought processes. It also gives them the inherent motivation to learn and eventually grow up.

Our Picks for the Best Ride-onToys

The Original PlasmaCar by PlaSmart – Blue – Ride On Toy, Ages 3 yrs and Up, No batteries, gears,...

Fat Brain Toys’ PlasmaCar is a fun ride-on toy that is propelled forward by an unlimited supply of kid-energy, centrifugal force, and gravity. It is lightweight and available in 5 beautiful and bright colors. The PlasmaCar has a futuristic design and your toddler drives it by repeatedly turning the steering wheel left and right. It is suitable for children over the age of 3 years.

Summary

The PlasmaCar is completely safe and durable. It received 3 awards from the Canadian Toy Testing Council as well as certified ‘Wow!’ status from the Today’s Parent Magazine. It is made from high-quality plastic that can support a load of up to 220 lbs on a smooth and flat surface.

Benefits

The biggest benefit of the PlasmaCar is that it encourages your children to be physically active in order to have more mobility. It is small enough to use indoors and works without any pedals or batteries. It is a solid and quiet ride-on toy that your toddler or pre-schooler will use and love for a long time.

The Cozy Truck is the perfect ride-on toy for growing toddlers. It allows them to move around independently and enhances their hand-eye coordination and muscle development. It has a unique rugged style and comes complete with off-road style wheels. They are available in blue for boys as well as pink for girls.

Summary

This beautiful little truck has a detailed design to provide your toddler with a sense of reality. This include doors that can open and close, a realistic front grill, and tail and headlight decals. It even has a little storage space where your toddler can put other toys or accessories.

Benefits

As your toddler grows, you can drop the tailgate and remove the floorboard to allow for prolonged use. It provides your toddler with increased mobility and encourages them to be active and burn their energy. For sensory stimulation, it also comes with a steering wheel and working horn. It also helps your toddler to build self-confidence.

The Up & Down Roller Coaster Ride-on from Step2 is a 10-foot roller coaster ride that can fit into your kids’ playroom. It consists of a cart that goes down a track with a little hill to make it a bit more accelerating to your children. It is completely safe, but smaller children may have to be under supervision.

Summary

The Up & Down Roller coaster an exciting ride-on toy for your small children. The cart has a high back, footrests, and a handrail to make it easier for them to get on. The track itself has recessed wheel wells to ensure that the cart stays on the track.

Benefits

This downhill coaster cart and track is a thrilling ride-on toy for small children. It is easy and quick to assemble and the cart can be used around the house without the track as well. It is made from durable plastic that will last for years to come.

This little quad from Fischer-Price is designed specifically for toddlers. It is easy for children to climb on and has a simple push-button operation the toddler can use to stop or go. Even though it has a beautiful and sporty ATV design, it is the perfect size and speed that is safe for your toddler. It is propelled by a battery that must be removed from the ride-on for the initial charge.

Summary

A battery-powered ride-on toy that is suitable for children between the ages of 1 and three. It has a weight limit of 40 lbs. When you buy the Power Wheel, you also get a comprehensive 1-year warranty that is backed by 300 service centers around the United States.

Benefits

All the Power Wheel’s features are toddler-friendly safe. It has foot-rests to keep your toddler stable and comfortable and it is operated with stop and go buttons that you or toddler can easily push. It has a top speed of 2 mph and can drive on hard surfaces as well as grass.

Thomas the Train with its track from Power Wheels is a ride-on train toy as well a compatible 18 feet track that is easy to assemble. The train doesn’t need the track and can drive on any hard surface at a speed of 2 mph. The train is powered by a battery and is specifically designed for kids as young as 12 months.

Summary

The little ride-on train is designed for indoor use only. The track is ideal for younger toddlers as it isn’t necessary to steer and it has a slower speed of 1 mph. When you take it off the track, your toddler can easily steer the train on any hard surface.

Benefits

A fun battery-powered ride-on toy that is suitable for your toddlers. It has a push-button operation that makes it easy for your toddler to stop and go. Assembly of the train tracks is easy and effortless. With the train, you also get a battery and charger.

This is a walking support, ride-on toy, and sensory toy compiled into one highly interactive product. It is a ride-on toy that is suitable for children from the age of 12 months to 3 years. It also has a play panel with sound that teaches toddlers about numbers and the alphabet and that tells them stories.

Summary

This is a gender-neutral ride-on toy that will increase your toddler’s mobility and that will keep them occupied and stimulated for the biggest part of their day. It is made from high-quality materials and is completely safe for your toddler to use.

Benefits

The Sit-to-Stand Alphabet Train has a wide variety of educational features to stimulate and teach your toddler basic things that are pivotal to their educational development. It is much more than a ride-on toy. It also provides sensory stimulation to enhance their visual and auditory perception.

Pros

– Highly interactive and educational ride-on toy.

– Three modes of play: floor play, walker, and ride-on.

– Comes with a diverse play and learning center.

– Playset contains motion sensors that play sounds when it detects movement.

The Easy Steer Sportster has a modern and sporty design and is easy and light for you to push your toddler around in. It also has a 360-degree turning ability that makes turning easier, especially in rougher terrains. It suitable for children from the ages of 18 months to 4 years of age.

Summary

This car is the perfect accessory for weekend or holiday trips. It is compact and the push handle can be folded up for transportation and storage. This ride-on toy from Step2 is designed to resemble a red convertible and it even comes with seatbelts and an interactive horn.

Benefits

This ride-on toy has a beautiful bright red color and has a modern and detailed design. It is completely safe for use by children and it is made from durable and high-quality materials. The whisper wheels allow for a smooth ride and don’t make any noise, even on rough terrains.

This age-old ride-on toy from Little Tykes has a modern design and features that will stimulate and entertain your toddler for hours on end. It encourages your toddler to be physically active and to engage his or her imagination and creativity. Younger toddlers may find the rocking motion soothing and may be a good way to calm them down.

Summary

Little tykes combined convention with safety and comfort to create this popular rocking horse with its striking blue color. The handles are easy for little hands to grip and the seat will keep your toddler steady and comfortable. This rocking horse is the perfect addition to your toddler’s nursery or playroom.

Benefits

The rocking horse can be used in any indoor area. The seem is sanded down to prevent any cuts or minor injuries. Rocking horses withstood the test of time and your toddler is guaranteed to spend a lot of time on this high-quality ride-on toy.

This giraffe ride-on from Little Tykes is sure to make your toddler make the most of his new-found mobility to explore his or her environment. It has an adjustable seat to cater for children of all sizes and they can use it inside the house or out in the garden.

Summary

The ride-on looks like a giraffe and has three wheels – two in the front and one big one in the back to provide maximum stability. Included with this ride-on, you also receive customizable ‘spot’ decals. The front wheel based is wide enough to provide ample balance and safety.

Benefits

Your toddler will love this friendly giraffe ride-on from Little Tykes. It will encourage your toddler to be more active and enhance muscle development. It will also improve your toddler’s balance, coordination, and gross motor skills. It has a controlled steering radius and can handle a weight of up to 50 lbs.

This high-end ride-on from John Deere comes complete with accelerator pedals and automatic brakes. It has traction on all surfaces and can maintain a speed of up to 4.5 mph. The adjustable seat has flip-up armrests and it is also equipped with an FM-radio. Included with the tractor is an extra-large stake-side trailer.

Summary

This tractor ride-on is suitable for children from the age of 2 to 7. It has a sophisticated design and will provide your children with hours of fun.

Benefits

This electric tractor ride-on with its trailer is any child’s dream. It will help with the development of steering skills, hand-eye coordination as well as improving right-brain and creative functions. This ride-on is durable and will last for many years to come. When you buy this tractor, you will also receive a free 12-Volt battery and a charger.

Pros

– A high-quality ride-on toy that can last for many years.

– Encourages creativity and imagination.

– Completely safe and child-friendly.

– FM-radio included as an added bonus

Criteria Used to Evaluate the Best Ride-on Toy

Safety

Safety is the number one concern when it comes to ride-on toys. Safety features that prevent tipping and falling like widespread wheels or brakes can minimize the risk of injuries. Always consider the age of your child. Battery-powered ride-on toys should be easy to stop.

The best ride-on toys for 2-year olds, for example, should not operate at high speeds and should be stationary or make use of a track to provide optimal control. A small toddler should also be able to sit steadily and comfortably. High back support, footrests, and handles is very important to prevent them from sliding off and hurting themselves.

Quality and durability

Most ride-on toys should be able to be used in rough terrain and support a weight of around 40 lbs. Some of them have a lot of moving parts and electronics that are supposed to last a long time, especially if there are baby brothers or sister that can use them one day.

Lacking quality can result in rapid depreciation or the need for constant repairs. If you make sure that the product you buy is made from high-quality materials, you may avoid a lot of these headaches.

The benefit to your child

It is important for your child to derive some sort of value from the ride-on toy. Younger children can find the same excitement from a simple rocking chair that older children can from, say, battery-powered John Deere ride-on toys. The value may take different forms as well, as long as there is a clear benefit or value that goes with the inherent development of balance and hand-eye coordination. This is the video about selecting ride-on toys for your toddler.

Do I Need a Ride-on Toy for My Toddler?

You don’t need to buy a ride-on toy for your toddler in the same sense that you have to buy him food, but the benefits of a ride-on toy are so vast and significant that they answer is yes. There are many different types of ride-on toys, so what you get depends on your toddler’s specific needs and age.

Physical fitness is a big benefit of self-propelling ride-on toys. Children that enjoy their ride-on toys will constantly burn energy and can avoid things like childhood obesity. A ride-on toy teaches a child to distribute their weight evenly and improve their balance. The best type of ride-on toys to improve your child’s balance are scooters or practice bikes.

Mobility and support for walking can help your toddler to explore his environment, learn new thing, and build muscles. A ride-on also teaches toddlers to be more independent and self-assured which are important for preschoolers.

Ride-on toys make it easier for kids to socialize, especially at places where parents and children go so they can ride around and enjoy the outdoors. There are many benefits to a ride-on and getting your child one can benefit them greatly. Her e is a video about toys for kids.

Things to Consider when selecting a ride-on toy

Your toddler’s age

Your toddler age is one of the key considerations when choosing a ride-on toy. At certain ages, they may not be big enough for certain ride-on toys. There are many ride-on toys out there that can be adjusted to accommodate your toddler’s growth. Safety is another reason to make sure that you buy a ride-on that will suit your toddler.

Stage of development

A ride-on can lack stimulation when it is not on par with your child’s stage of development. It may even be worth it, in general, to pay a visit to a child psychologist or other knowledgeable professional to determine in what areas your child is developed. Base your choice of ride-on on areas that you know need improvement.

Maintenance

More sophisticated ride-on toys may require regular maintenance to perform optimally during their lifespan. Make sure that you can commit to a ride-on toy’s maintenance requirements. Inspect the toy beforehand make sure that you keep assembly instructions and user manuals. Simpler ride-on toys may just require from you to clean them regularly or to apply some lubricant to moving parts.

Battery-powered or toddler-powered?

Battery powered ride-on toys can be very exciting. There is a case to be made, however, for ride-on toys that kids push forward themselves. These ride-on toys require less maintenance and the keep children active. 12-Volt ride-on toys, on the other hand, can improve your child’s hand-eye coordination and control skills much better. Make sure that your choice is supported by your toddler’s needs.

Conclusion

Whether you want to buy ride-on toys for girl toddlers, ride-on toys for boy toddlers, or a gender-neutral ride-on toy, chances are you will be making a little toddler-heart very happy. Ride-on toys provide children with the best memories of their life. As they use them, they learn and they grow. Many of their different skills develop and start benefitting them in other areas of their lives.

As a parent, your children’s well-being is important to you. Whatever you choose, you can rest assured that there went a lot of homework and research into your toddler’s ride-on toy, especially if you take the consideration and requirements into account or if you chose a product from this list.

The right ride-on toy will boost your child’s physical, emotional, and intellectual development in many different ways. They will also provide you and your children with hours of fun and exciting times that you will remember for a long time.